The Culture Show Podcast

“The Band's Visit” is one of the most captivating musicals about…nothing. Though it might not be action packed, it packs a punch for maximizing everyday moments and making them feel momentous. The Tony-winning show follows the adventures of a touring Egyptian band stranded in an Israeli village. With nowhere for the musicians to stay, the locals take them in for the night. The overriding sentiment...

This is the Culture Show. Coming up: Tracy K. Smith. Through her poetry, the Pulitzer-prize winner probes the meaning of life. She meditates on what happens to our souls when we die. She communes with the dead. And ultimately, she makes the personal universal. Smith’s poems scrutinize oppression, the contradiction that is the American dream, and the injustices that plague our nation. All these the...

First up, what happens when a people’s cultural identity becomes a casualty of war? Throughout history monuments, cultural sites, artworks and artifacts have become collateral damage. Now Gaza is surveying the wreckage of Israel’s airstrikes, which have reduced more than 100 landmarks to rubble. Then a new docuseries excavates Boston’s fraught history of racism and segregation by way of the 1989 C...

Today we are going to look at four pillars of holiday entertainment: the 1946 classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Then the contemporary classic “Love Actually. Plus “the juggernaut of jingle bells: The Hallmark Channel, which has 40 new holiday films this season. And finally, we break down Bah Humbug-ery, ranking the top adaptations of “A Christmas Carol.”

Congressman Joaquin Castro is calling for a federal investigation into Warner Bros. for scrapping its own film: Coyote vs. Acme. From there, rap legend Andre 3000 releases his first album in nearly 20 years–and it’s an 87 minute ode…to the flute; Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski trial is now on stage, as a musical. The feminist website Jezebel has folded. And just in time for Thanksgiving, season 2 of Julia...

The Grammy nominations are here, women dominate the album of the year with SZA, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo topping the list. And yet, with nearly 100 categories, there are still snubs. And they say there’s no business like Show business, but for months there was no business IN show business. Now that the actors’ strike is over, what does this mean for Hollywood and another major production hu...

In the first episode of "The Culture Show," hosts Jared Bowen, Edgar B. Herwick III, and Callie Crossley discuss this week's arts and culture news.